Blogs > Cleveland Cavaliers Blog

Find out the scoop on the CAVS from award-winning sports writer Bob Finnan.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Game 55: Magic at Cavs

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (22-33) 101, ORLANDO MAGIC (16-40) 93
Quicken Loans Arena
Wednesday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED?: After the game, I asked Cavs coach Mike Brown if he thought about the fact that the team he coached on Wednesday might not be the same one he coaches on Friday in Toronto.

Of course, he refused to go there. He's not able to delve into the abstract.

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday. The Cavs appear to be trying hard to ship guard Jarrett Jack out of town. After the game, Cavs Acting General Manager David Griffin was talking with Jack in hushed tones in the hallway outside the locker room.

What exactly were they saying? I have no idea. But there was something going on. We know that he probably won't be going back to Golden State, which traded for Lakers point guard Steve Blake.

Sacramento seems interested in Jack. Power forward Jason Thompson might be coming to the Cavs in a possible deal, although he could be part of a three-way trade. The Cavs already have Tristan Thompson at power forward, even though Jason is a bit taller at 6-11.

I'm guessing that Griffin is able to do something by the deadline. The Cavs are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference with a six-game winning streak.

That streak could come to an end on Friday in Toronto. Let's take a look at that game. The Cavs could be without center Anderson Varejao (sore back/general soreness), shooting guard Dion Waiters (hyperextended left knee) and swingman C.J. Miles (sprained left ankle).

That doesn't do much for the Cavs' bench.

And, if the Cavs deal Jack, they might be forced to start Matthew Dellavedova at shooting guard against the Raptors.

The Magic dropped to 3-25 on the road this season. They've lost 14 in a row on the road, starting with a loss to the Cavs on Jan. 2.

Yet, they were within two points on two different occasions in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. The Cavs squandered a 21-point lead in the third quarter.

They missed Waiters on Wednesday, especially his scoring ability. He said there is no structural damage, but he's in a lot of pain. He's going to miss some time, which is unfortunate. He's been playing very well and giving the Cavs a major spark off the bench.

The Cavs are going to wait until all three players are 100 percent healthy. They don't want to bring them back too soon. 

I've got to tip my cap to Cavs center Tyler Zeller, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks. I'm impressed with the way he's been playing.

We'll see how he does against Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas on Friday. It will be a stern test. He held is own against Orlando's Nikola Vucevic, but he really doesn't defend. He's more of a finesse player. Valanciunas isn't. He's a tough hombre.

Cavs forward Anthony Bennett ended with seven points and nine rebounds. He's continued to play well with two double-doubles in his last four games. He's really making his move. Fans are starting to see what ex-Cavs General Manager Chris Grant saw in him to make him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Toronto at 7 p.m. Friday at Air Canada Centre.

STARTERS
SF Luol Deng (6-9, 220) vs. Tobias Harris (6-9, 235)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 236) vs. Glen Davis (6-9, 289)
C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Nikola Vucevic (7-0, 250)
SG Jarrett Jack (6-3, 200) vs. Arron Afflalo (6-5, 215)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. Jameer Nelson (6-0, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G Carrick Felix
Magic - N/A
OFFICIALS
Michael Smith, Kevin Cutler, Josh Tiven


0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home